Open source GPL to get major revision

A proposed revision of the GNU General Public License could have lasting effects on users and developers of open source software.

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A proposed revision of the GNU General Public License could have lasting effects on users and developers of open source software.

Radio: The GPL roadmap
Peter Brown, executive director of the Free Software Foundation, discusses the future of the General Public License.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," is part of the reason why the GPL's current version has lasted for 14 years, says Peter Brown, executive director of the FSF. However, he acknowledges that 14 years is an eternity in the world of software development, and that the dramatically changed climate in which open source code is written and used calls for an update to the license.

The FSF is scheduled to release a draft of GPLv3 next month, with subsequent second and final drafts expected by the summer and fall. The final version of GPLv3 is expected by the spring of 2007.

While Brown would not give details of the revamp, a major aspect of revision will center on open source license compatibility.

"We are looking to improve compatibility with other important free software licenses," he says. "GPL is the dominant free software license, with 70% of open source software licensed under" it.